March 13, 2018

In a world that has been mostly silent about the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya community, we need strong voices of conscience that demand justice and action. Sir Bob Geldof is one such voice. Last November, when many of us felt helpless and hopeless seeing nearly 800,000 people forced into life as refugees because of their religion and ethnicity, he returned his “Freedom of the City of Dublin” award in protest of fellow awardee Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar leader who has allowed the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, saying:

“I don’t want to be on a very select roll of wonderful people with a killer, someone who is at best a handmaiden to genocide and an accomplice to murder.”

The founder and organizer of Band Aid and Live Aid, charity concerts that raised over $150 million for Ethiopian famine relief, Sir Bob Geldof has dedicated his life to social justice work, advocating for the rights and protection of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized. He was one of the first “celebrity activists,” leveraging his craft to create social change on a global scale. Sir Bob inspired such artists as Bono, Michael Jackson, Sting, Chris Martin, and scores more to do the same.

We are honored to present Sir Bob Geldof with our inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award and I hope you can join us!